Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to deliver knowledge on the main traditional and novel technologies used in the food industry for the elimination or
reduction of food hazards, dangerous for the human health.
At the end of the course, the student must be able to set up and control a food process with particular reference to product safety, according to international and European guidelines.
Thanks to the information provided, the student will be able to critically evaluate the approaches to be adopted for ensuring food safety, extending
the concepts also to other food processes and product categories,
regardless of the specific case studies covered during the course.
The student will learn the technical language related to food equipment and processing, as well as on food safety.
Student will be able to deepen his knowledge in the field of food
processing by autonomously examining specialized texts, and international scientific journals.
Prerequisites
There are no compulsory prerequisites, but students are encouraged to attend the courses of Food Microbiology (Mod. II) and Biological hazards in food.
Course unit content
The course deals with the main industrial food processes aimed to the prevention and elimination/reduction of the food hazards, in different product categories.
Full programme
Influence of food intrinsic and extrinsic factors on microbial stability. Heat treatments for microbial inactivation. Retorting. Hot filling and aseptic processing. Drying and freeze-drying. Cooling and freezing. Non thermal processing and novel technologies. Case studies of food processes on different product categories.
Bibliography
• P. J. Fellows “Food Processing Technology: Principles and Practice”
http://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaarecovery/2_food_storage/Food%20Proces
sing%20Technology.pdf
• R. L. Earle “Unit Operations in Food Processing”
https://nzifst.org.nz/resources/unitoperations/index.htm
• J.G. Brennan “Food Processing Handbook”
http://www.kelm.ftn.uns.ac.rs/literatura/pdms/FoodProcessingHandbook.pdf
Teaching methods
Classes will be organized face-to-face with the possibility to follow the lessons also remotely, by watching video-recordings, according to the rules dictated by the University. Teaching will be carried out through lectures in the classroom with the help of slides that will represent teaching material. The recommended texts are in support and integration of the slides. The slides will be available online on the website https://elly.saf.unipr.it/2023/ in pdf format for students. The slides will be uploaded on Elly before each class and not all together at the beginning of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
At the end of the course, the learning outcomes will be verified, by considering all the contents presented during the lessons.
The verification method includes a written exam consisting of two parts:
1. multiple choice questions (30 minutes for 30 questions)
2. open question (30 minutes for 1 question)
Both exam parts will be evaluated on a scale of grades out of thirty; the average of the two marks, will be the final vote. The grade is expressed out of thirty. To obtain the sufficiency the candidate needs an overall score greater than or equal to 18 in both parts. Honors will be reserved for students who got the maximum score (30/30) on both parts. The appropriateness of the technical-scientific language and the ability to find connections between different topics will be evaluated.
The grade obtained in this course is worth 50% for the evaluation of the integrated course C.I. Food Microbiology and Food Technology.
Registration for this PARTIAL TEST takes place on-line through the ESSE3 platform.
Other information
During classes, the correct use of technical language will be illustrated and the connections between the various parts of the course will be underlined. These aspects are essential for a complete understanding of the subject. During the course, exercises will be carried out and an interactive lesson form will be proposed. For these reasons, the attendance of the course, even if not mandatory, is strongly recommended.
